Nestled just a stone’s throw from the shimmering waters of Lake Minnetonka, a century-old Minneapolis dwelling recently underwent a remarkable transformation at the hands of Oho Interiors. The primary objective? To maximise the breathtaking lake views from the everyday living spaces, which had been sadly obscured in previous iterations of the house. This renovation, perhaps the last in a long line of updates, aimed to reconnect the family home with its lakeside heritage, resulting in an interior that is both serene and deeply comforting, punctuated by unexpected design flourishes.
Imagine pantry doors adorned with star-shaped cutouts, a charming curved nook designed specifically for colouring, and blue-veined marble countertops that inject a touch of whimsy into a timeless kitchen. The challenge was to restore the character that had been gradually lost over the years, resulting in a sophisticated Scandinavian-inspired design infused with delightful, family-oriented surprises, creating a truly exceptional home.
The property’s new occupants, a young family with two daughters, aged six and one, envisioned a “forever home” that felt intimately connected to the lake, both visually and spiritually. Having previously resided next door, they had long desired improved views of the water. According to Melissa Oholendt, the founder of Oho Interiors, they seized the opportunity to create a home with unparalleled vistas of the lake and Excelsior Bay when the property became available. This vision became the central driving force behind the entire renovation project.
“The lake was the primary reason they purchased the house,” Oholendt explains, “so our mission was to ensure they could enjoy it from as many rooms as possible.”
Given the home’s history of numerous remodels, it lacked a sense of cohesion. Therefore, the homeowners and Oho Interiors agreed on a unified objective from the outset: the house should feel intrinsically linked to its lakeside setting without resorting to stereotypical coastal décor.
The homeowners expressed a desire for a cosy space featuring sophisticated hues and clean lines, drawing inspiration from Scandinavian design principles but reinterpreted to suit a Midwestern sensibility.
The resulting design scheme relies on a calming, refined palette of earthy neutrals, stormy blues, and deep charcoals, layered with warm woods and tactile finishes. Natural light was maximised wherever possible, strengthening the connection to the outdoors and providing bright and airy spaces to balance the rich colour palette.
By strategically reconfiguring outdated layouts, enlarging windows, and widening openings between rooms, the design team transformed fleeting glimpses of the lake into a constant, captivating backdrop for each space.
Oholendt notes that reorienting the layout and window placements to maximise lake visibility was a top priority throughout the design process. They meticulously evaluated sightlines from each room and made deliberate choices – rearranging windows and even repurposing entire rooms – to create more opportunities to appreciate the lake from daily living areas.
The result is a uniquely charming retreat that pays homage to the home’s enviable location while seamlessly accommodating modern family life.
Kitchen Transformation
The previously isolated kitchen underwent a significant structural overhaul. It had been a closed-off, disconnected space with no real connection to the view. As the client’s trust in Oho Interiors grew, the project scope was expanded to include the kitchen renovation. This allowed for the opening up of the space, rotating the island, and enlarging the windows, all of which significantly increased natural light and beautifully framed the lake views from the heart of the home.
Taking a fresh approach to timeless design, Oholendt sought to add a “little extra oomph” to the kitchen cabinetry. While classic shaker fronts are used elsewhere in the home, the kitchen, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Stone Hearth, features custom beaded detailing on the doors to elevate the classic profile.
This same bead detail was carried onto the slab-front drawers and complemented by traditional brass hardware, lending a subtle sense of craftsmanship that feels both classic and contemporary. The kitchen island’s generous proportions encourage gatherings, while the overhang is framed by vintage-style counter stools that provide a gentle contrast to the earthy colours and offer ample seating for casual dining.
Colour Palette and Countertops
Stone Hearth, a perfect blend of grey and beige with warm undertones, offers a warmer, more inviting alternative to taupe.
The boldest design choice in this earthy kitchen comes in the form of the countertops. During a spontaneous trip to the stone yard, both the designer and clients were immediately captivated by a striking Ijen Blue quartzite slab. Its swirling blues and greys subtly evoke the waves of Lake Minnetonka, which is just steps away from the property.
Oholendt explains that when a client is open to embracing a stone slab with a strong personality, they fully embrace it. This kitchen showcases the willingness to fall in love and take a risk with a stone that deviates from the norm.
Paired with mixed-metal polished nickel taps that complement the warm brass hardware and lighting fixtures, it exemplifies Oho Interiors’ ability to make design choices that are both daring and timeless.
To balance the warmth of the cabinetry and the boldness of the stone, the range hood was designed with a more masculine, architectural shape but finished in plaster for a softer, more organic feel. Flanked by two windows, the extractor hood doesn’t dominate the space but instead brings a quiet movement to it.
Overall Design and Inspiration
The combination of feminine and masculine elements creates a sense of balance and stability that would not have been achievable otherwise.
The lake influenced not only the layout but also the overall mood and colour scheme of the entire home. The palette facilitates seamless transitions between the open spaces. The eye flows effortlessly from one room to the next, with subtle tonal changes maintaining visual interest. Consequently, every room, from the kitchen to a cosy reading nook, feels connected to a cohesive narrative.
Light plays a crucial role, softening colours in some areas and intensifying depth in others, like in the sophisticated living room drenched in a cocooning green.
Oholendt notes that the lake inspired much of the home’s colour palette and feel. The aim was to create interiors that felt calm, grounded, and connected to the natural surroundings, layering deeper, more sophisticated tones with rich woodwork and timeless materials suitable for a lakeside home.
The design is not a literal interpretation of coastal or nautical themes, but rather a subtle rhythm that reflects the peacefulness of being near water.
Thoughtful Details
In a home designed for family living, even the most practical spaces were carefully considered, as exemplified by the pantry. The pantry storage is situated in a highly visible location, so custom doors with star cutouts were incorporated, transforming a utilitarian space into something special.
By incorporating these unexpected details, the design team ensured that the family’s daily routines feel as joyful and considered as their time spent in the home’s more formal areas.
One of the most charming and thoughtful details is the built-in desk and colouring nook created for the homeowners’ six-year-old daughter. This feature was not specifically requested by the clients but was instead born from a desire to create something both practical and magical that would evolve with her as she grows.
The inspiration was a blend of functionality and charm, aiming for something intentional and architectural rather than simply adding furniture to a room. The materials and curved detailing mirror the rest of the home, and the Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue paint gives the built-in a timeless, integrated feel. It’s a small but deeply personal space that adds significant heart to the home.
The family desired a forever home, and the design team aimed to create a space that could support childhood needs now and well into the future.
By drawing on the tones, textures, and moods of Lake Minnetonka, Oho Interiors has crafted a space that feels deeply rooted in its surroundings yet entirely modern and perfectly suited to family life. Every detail, from the layered colour palette to the custom cabinetry and reconfigured sightlines that frame the water, serves as a constant reminder of the home’s profound connection to the lake.